I've switched to a plan that gives me free incoming calls and
(practically) unlimited text messages. My new number is +1416TADANOW.
Or +1 416 TADBONY. ;) (This is not a comment on my physical
appearance. A friend says I look healthy.) I didn't have a choice of
numbers, or else I'd probably get something like +1 416 1 4 EMACS. ;)

And yes, that's my phone number out there. Use it wisely. Text
message, good. Call in the middle of the night, bad (usually). Heavy
breathing, creepy. Be nice. =)

I found myself in the neighborhood of a good friend I hadn't talked to
in a while, so I decided to drop by. It turned out to be the best way
I could've spent that afternoon. I can't share everything she talked
to me about, but listening to her clarified a few things I'd been
wondering about, and I hope that I helped her reflect on some of the
really tough things she's going through.

I'm rereading Gail Vaz-Oxlade's excellent book, A Woman of Independent
Means. I hope I can find something that will help.

Mark Chignell, Gordon Lee, Julie Waterhouse and I discussed my
research plan this morning. I'm really lucky to have such wonderful,
wonderful mentors!

I mentioned my interest in living in San Francisco for a short while
to Mark, who suggested an internship after I finish my coursework,
while I'm writing up my thesis. It'd be a good idea, I think. I'd like
to get a feel of the tech scene there, and I'd also like an
opportunity to plunge deeply into technical stuff.

I love the Philippines, and I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of
ideas with the geeks back home. I'm a lot more effective at connecting
with people when I can bump into them face-to-face, so I hope to find
a way to bridge worlds by spending some time abroad and some time at
home.

That would be just right...

Random Japanese sentence: ÃƒÂ§Ã‚ÂŒÃ‚Â«ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂŒÃƒÂ¥Ã‚Â¥Ã‚Â½ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂªÃƒÂ¤Ã‚ÂºÃ‚ÂºÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â‚Ã‚Â‚ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â„ÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â‚Ã‚ÂŒÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â°ÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â€Ã‚ÂÃƒÂ§Ã‚ÂŠÃ‚Â¬ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â®ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â»ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â†ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂŒÃƒÂ¥Ã‚Â¥Ã‚Â½ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂªÃƒÂ¤Ã‚ÂºÃ‚ÂºÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â‚Ã‚Â‚ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â„ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â¾ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â™ÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â‚ Some people like cats, others prefer dogs.

After quite a hiatus from CookOrDie blogging because I'd either been
eating out or cooking simple things, I decided to experiment a bit
today. I had leftover vegetables from Saturday's barbecue, so I
broiled them. The mushrooms got special treatment, courtesy of a
recipe suggestion from the Joy of Cooking: I tossed them with garlic
and olive oil, and _then_ I broiled them. Wonderful stuff. Zucchini,
green pepper, red pepper, and portobello mushrooms. I rounded off
dinner with corn on the cob. Yum yum!

Random Japanese sentence: ÃƒÂ§Ã‚ÂŠÃ‚Â¬ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂŒÃƒÂ¯Ã‚Â¼Ã‚Â‘ÃƒÂ¥Ã‚ÂŒÃ‚Â¹ÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â€Ã‚ÂÃƒÂ§Ã‚ÂŒÃ‚Â«ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂŒÃƒÂ¯Ã‚Â¼Ã‚Â‘ÃƒÂ¥Ã‚ÂŒÃ‚Â¹ÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â€Ã‚ÂÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â‚Ã‚Â«ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂƒÃ‚ÂŠÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂƒÃ‚ÂªÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂƒÃ‚Â¤ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚ÂŒÃƒÂ¯Ã‚Â¼Ã‚Â“ÃƒÂ§Ã‚Â¾Ã‚Â½ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â„ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â¾ÃƒÂ£Ã‚ÂÃ‚Â™ÃƒÂ£Ã‚Â€Ã‚Â‚ We have a dog, a cat and three canaries.